Drug cheat Marion Jones to try her hand at basketball
Disgraced former American sprinter Marion Jones is attempting to relaunch her sporting career as a professional basketball player.
Jones was an outstanding basketball talent before choosing a full-time athletics career in 1996.
In 2008 she spent almost six months in jail after admitting to perjury, conceding she had used steroids, and due to her involvement in a cheque fraud.
The former Olympic 100metres and 200m champion, who has since been stripped of her medals, appears to have no plans to return to the track.
Now 34, she told the New York Times: "Back in May, when I got a call from someone in the NBA, asking if I would possibly be interested in the WNBA, my reaction was, 'Yeah, right'."
However Jones gave the idea further consideration, and has come around to the idea of returning to women's basketball.
She said: "I thought it would be an interesting journey if I decided to do this. It would give me an opportunity to share my message to young people on a bigger platform.
"It would give me an opportunity to get a second chance. I think I can be an asset to a franchise, so it comes down to, Why not? Really. Why not?"
